Dehydrating incinerator



Get 5, 1954 D. H. HENDERSON 2,690,720

DEHYDRATING INCINERATOR Filed April 24, 1950 INVENTOR. 0515597 H.HENDERSON,

BY I2A Fl 3 Mad" j w Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4Claims. (Cl. 11018) My invention relates to new and useful improvementsin incinerators and in natural or artificial gas fired burners for usein incinerators, referring in particular to chimney fed incinerators.

It is a well known fact to those at all familar with incinerators asconstructed and used in dwelling houses, apartment buildings, hospitals,store buildings, etc. that the customary practice is to maintain agas-burning attachment to assist in consuming the various materials tobe incinerated.

In general, such burners have proved to be a nuisance because of thedamage done to the grates and other parts of the incinerators, alsobecause of the great risk of a back-up of fumes or raw gas, creating arisk of asphyxiation or possibly an explosion.

In case such burners are installed below the grates the heat will causethe grates to warp and break and in case such grates become clogged orobstructed with ashes or garbage, and if a bypass is not providedbetween the ash pit and chimney, the fumes from the burner cannot gothrough the rubbish or obstruction on the grates with the result thatthey will escape out into the room where the incinerator is located.

In the event the gas flame is extinguished because of lack of oxygen inthe ash pit, the raw gas will continue to flow and back up, thuscreating a serious explosion or other hazard.

In the event the burner is installed above the grates, it will sometimesbecome completely surrounded by waste products, which are too damp,

or Wet to burn thus extinguishing the flame and creating the samehazards as stated previously. Again such burner is sometimes pointeddownward to prevent the end of same from becoming plugged, with theresult that the grates are damaged due to the internal heat. In mostcases such burners are not provided with an air mixer adjustment, and ifthey are provided with such an adjustment it is always outside theincinerator, hence when such burner becomes covered the raw gas comesout through the mixer into the room. In other cases the burner islocated too far above the grates so that it is too far from the mass tobe burned.

In chimney fed incinerators, sometimes the chimney (or feed fiue)becomes completely obstructed with burnables that would not go down,thus creating a very serious hazard in case the conventional gas burneris lit. As a matter of fact, most owners are actually afraid to use thegas burner and in some municipalities their use is prohibitedaltogether. Furthermore failure to use the gas burner always results inimperfect combustion, which means that instead of removing a smallvolume of clean ashes there is always a large quantity of ashes andpartly burned garbageto be removed, which invariably has a bad odor thuscreating a health problem.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combination offeatures which, when installed in an incinerator and a chimney, willmake such incinerator much more serviceable and such features are:

1. A gas burner or dehydrater, using natural, artificial or bottled gas.

2. A housing for the burner that not only dries out wet garbage butventilates both the ash pit and combustion chamber to the chimney.

Another object of the invention is to provide a housing with a pluralityof openings through its walls so that the flames from the burner come indirect contact with the burnables placed inside the housing and alsoprovide for a constant ventilation through the grates up to the top ofthe incinerator combustion chamber through such housing.

A further object of the invention is to make it possible to maintain acontinuous fire inside the housing which is always vented to avoid thefire becoming extinguished because of "smothering even when the flame isturned very low.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a housing asdescribed that will always be hot and have such heat transferred to anyWet masses, which will have a drying tendency so that in time the wetmass will be sufiiciently dry so that it will burn.

A further object of the invention is to make it unnecessary to provide aby-pass between the ash-pit and chimney when the incinerator is built.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination by-pass andburner that will never cause the grates to become warped, or burned out.

-Another object of my improved incinerator is to burn the refuse as itaccumulates or around the clock. This avoids dense smoke and clouds offly ash from the top of the chimney which ordinarily occurs when atwenty-four hour accumulation of garbage is burned in a short length oftime once a day. This also prolongs the life of the installation by theprovision of a constant low fire in the combustion chamber instead of adestructive blast furnace blaze once a day.

- My invention converts a conventional incinerator into a de-hydratorwhich slowly dries out and consumes the garbage.

The foregoing stated objects and others attainable by the use of theinvention will be readily discernable from a reading of the descriptionand a reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of a chimney with theperforated feed-flue installed therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a spark guard.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing portions of a chimney and feedflue in cross-section of an incinerator and a burner installed withinthe. in-

cinerator.

Fig. 4 is across-sectional view in elevation of a burner and housing.

Describing the parts as shown in the drawings: I refers to anincinerator chimney with the lining 9, 2 is a feed flue with apluralityof apertures 3; 4 and 4A are spark arresters over thetop-of the chimneyand feed flue; 5 is an auxiliary spark guard positioned over the chimneyspaceat the base of such chimney, 6 is a gas or fuel supply pipe withcontrol valve ll. 1 is a burner-in a ball form, having slots provided inits surface as outlets for the burning gas or fuel and a-mixer I6 whichis provided with threads for securing same within the housing 15, suchhousing being provided with a plurality of apertures through which theheat from the burner escapes to hasten the drying out of any damp or wetgarbageor refuse in contact with or around-such housing. The horizontalportion of such housing isprovided with one or more upstandingportions'=lA provided with apertures near the top, providing auxiliaryor additional heating means for drying out and burning the said garbageor refuse, I4 is a vertical housing of similar construction to IS, withthe lower end 14A open. This housing provides ventilation from the ashpit and also provides for access of air to the combustion chamber of theincinerator. This housing l4 maybe positioned adjacent to the housingI5, or at any desired place in the combustion chamber aslong as the openend MA is connected with theash pit l2 and below the grates 13. The ashpit is provided with a door [2A for cleaning. Hoppers for feedinggarbage or refuse into the feed flue 2 are indicated by 3, and refers tothe chimney masonry. It will be seen that the mixer IS'has a directconnection with the outside air'so as to always provide suflicientoxygen for thegas burner 1 to function efliciently.

From the foregoing description of parts, and their showing in thedrawing, the construction operation and advantages in the use ofthemvention will be-generally understood to be as follows:

A foraminous or sieve-like feed flue 2 with a plurality of perforations3, shown in cylindrical form, is installed within an incinerator chimneyI, such chimney being provided with refractory lining material 9. Suchflue extends downward to and connects into the combustion chamber of theincinerator within the chimney base. The top of the chimney I isprovided With'a spark arrester and the top of the feed flue, whichextends above the arrester 4, is provided with a separate spark arrester4A. An auxiliary spark arrester 5 is fixed over the lower end of thechimney as shown. The base of the incinerator is provided with the usualash pit with bars or grates, forming the top, and a door for removingtheresidue of the burnedgarbage,.orrubbish.

'all times. tends inwardly from the outside wall into the A fuel supplypipe, with an outside control valve, extends horizontally through anoutside wall of the lower portion of the incinerator chimney and intothe bottom portion of the combustion chamber. A ball shaped burner,provided with slots, is fixed on the inner end of such supply pipe andsuch burner is provided with a mixer, positioned on the fuel pipe and insuch outside wall so as to have direct connection with the outside airat A horizontal, perforated housing excombustion chamber beyond the saidburner and completely incloses the burner and fuel pipe, such housingbeing adjacent to and directly over the grates of the ash pit andprovided with one or more portions projecting upward from the upper sideof the housing and opening directly into such horizontal housing. Suchupright portions are provided with apertures in their upper portions andfunction as a means, auxiliary to and with the horizontal housingproper, to dry out the garbage and other refuse fed into the incineratorfrom the hoppers, in order to prepare same for burning, such burner andhousing jointly functioning as a dehydrator. The burner being inclosedwithin the housing permits of it being burned continually if desired,without any danger of being suffocated or extinguished by the garbage,etc. in the combustion chamber. Also the upright housing M provides forthe passage of any draft coming from the ash pit, particularly when thedoor is opened for cleaning so that the burner is free from any suchdraft. The perforations in the under surface of the horizontal housingare larger than those in the top surface of the housing so that in theeventany particles from the combustion chambers drop through the upperholes they will be sure to drop out through the bottom holes and notclog the burner.

By the use of the perforated feed flue of the invention the smoke,fumes, etc. from the burning garbage go directly out through such flueand in case there should be an obstruction in such flue the smoke,fumes, etc. will seep out through such perforations into the spacebetween such flue and the chimney walls, such space and corners servingas a by-pass around the obstruction, thus preventing the escape of suchsmoke and fumes into the basement where the incinerator is located.

The invention is adapted to be built complete in a new structure or maybe installed in an incinerator already constructed in the conventionalmanner.

The designed purpose of the housing with perforations through its wall,and the inclosed burner is to permit the damp, or wet garbage, or refuseemptied into the incinerator, to be slowly dried or de-hydrated, bymeans of the heat from the burner heating the housing and passing outthrough the perforations, so that the refuse will burn gradually as itis emptied into such incinerator and not accumulate, or pack into thecombustion chamber for burning as is done in the conventionalincinerator. Also such burner, positioned as described permits of itsbeing burned with a low flame, sufficient to dispose of the garbage,etc., as it is emptied into the incinerator, yet without any danger ofbeing smothered or extinguished by such garbage, or refuse.

Furthermore, the operation of the incinerator in the manner stated,permits the burning of the contents of the incinerator in such a mannerthat practically no smoke is emitted from the top of the chimney or feedflue and the fly-ash is practically eliminated, also the absence of any,intense heat prevents the destruction or burning out of any part of theincinerator structure, thus adding years to the lift of suchincinerator.

The foregoing stated construction provides for a safety divided vent forchimney fed incinerators which can be operated around the clock, adehydrater, positive ventilation for the ash pit and combustion chamberat all times, a much increased if not doubled, capacity in the disposalof the garbage, eta, fed into such incinerator and two compartmentsextending from the ash pit up through the spark arresters at the top ofthe chimney and feed flue.

I have shown my invention in a desired useful and practical structure.However adaptations in use may require modifications or changes in suchstructure without departing from the basic fea tures or spirit of theinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber,a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housingextending transversely of said combustion chamber, means for supplyingheat to said housing, there being perforations through said housing tothe bottom thereof to permit particles to fall through the bottom ofsaid housing, said housing having a hollow vertical portion extendingupwardly from said first-named housing and communicating with the hollowof said first-named housing, there being aperture means near the top ofsaid vertical portion, a grate below said housing, an ash pit below saidgrate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating with saidcombustion chamber above said first-named housing, said entirefirst-named housing being perforated, said first-named housing passingthrough a wall of said combustion chamber, and said heat supplying meansincluding a fuel burner at said wall end only of said first-namedhousing, said burner positioned so that the products of combustion passalong said housing and out through said perforations.

2. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber,a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housingextending transversely of said combustion chamber, there being openingsthrough the bottom of said housing, said housing having a hollowvertical portion extending upwardly from said firstnamed housing andcommunicating with the hollow of said first-named housing, there beingaperture means near the top of said vertical portion, a grate below saidhousing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extending chimneyflue communicating with said combustion chamber above said first-namedhousing, and fuel burner means inside of said housing in portionsthereof other than that vertically in line below said hollow verticalportion, whereby a strong updraft from said ash pit may travel throughsaid hollow vertical portion to said chimney flue without extinguishingsaid burner.

3. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber,a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housingextendin transversely of said combustion chamber, means for supplyingheat to said housing, there being perforations through said housing inthe top and bottom thereof to permit particles to fall by gravitythrough said housing, said housing having a hollow Vertical portionextending upwardly from said first-named housing and communicatin withthe hollow of said firstnanied housing, there bein aperture means nearthe top of said vertical portion, a grate below said housing, an ash pitbelow said grate, a vertically extending chimney flue communicating withsaid combustion chamber above said first-named housing, and a hollowbiz-pass tube extending upwardly higher than said hollow verticalportion and communicating downwardly with said ash pit, thereby providincommunication independent of said first-named housing between said ashpit and said combustion chamber above said first-named housing.

4. Incinerator structure comprising walls forming a combustion chamber,a horizontally extending elongated hollow heat conducting housingextending transversely of said combustion chamber, there being openingsthrough the bottom of said housin said housing havin a hollow verticalconnection extending upwardly from said firstnamed housing andcommunicating with the hollow of said first-named housing, there beingaperture means near the top of said vertical connection, a grate belowsaid housing, an ash pit below said grate, a vertically extendingchimney flue communicating with said combustion chamber above saidfirst-named housing, and fuel burner means inside of said housing inportions thereof other than that vertically in line below said hollowvertical connection, whereby a strongupdraft from said ash pit maytravel through said hollow vertical connection to said chimney fluewithout extinguishing said burner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 178,372 Kidder June 6, 1876 1,155,492 Krenz Oct. 5, 19151,246,416 Gibbs NOV. 13, 1917 1,428,782 Jouclard Sept. 12, 19221,523,560 Prescott Jan. 20, 1925 1,674,304 Schamberg June 19, 19281,772,718 Howle Aug. 12, 1930 1,866,959 Wyse July 12, 1932 1,947,836Fahlstrom Feb. 20, 1934 2,044,085 Laghetto June 16, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 898,341 France July 3, 1944

